oakiecokie
Well-Known Member
The Barry Bennell scandal was "brushed under the carpet" by Crewe Alexandra, according to the eminent barrister who prosecuted the serial paedophile in 1998.
Lord Carlile - one of the country's top legal experts - told the BBC the club at the centre of the case was guilty of "institutional failure" over their former youth coach.
He also fears young footballers were abused because "this danger was not drawn to the attention of a wider public".
Bennell, 64, who has already served three prison sentences, has been convicted of 43 further charges of child sex abuse by a jury at Liverpool Crown Court.
In a statement on Thursday, Crewe said the club "was not aware of any sexual abuse by Bennell" until his arrest in Florida in 1994, and that it did not receive any sexual abuse complaint about him "before or during his employment with the club."
Crewe also said a police investigation found "no evidence to corroborate that the club was aware of Bennell's offending".
Bennell, who worked with a number of clubs across the north west of England, including Manchester City and Stoke City, was jailed for nine years in 1998, pleading guilty to 23 specimen charges at Chester Crown Court.
But the prosecuting barrister at the trial, Alex Carlile QC, who was made a life peer in 1999, has now spoken out for the first time about Crewe's handling of the case.
"I believe the Crewe board should have addressed this issue, and I'd be very interested to see the board minutes of the time because I feel sure the board would have discussed it in some way, but I have the feeling it was brushed under the carpet," he said.
"What I am satisfied about is that there should have been further inquiry by any club involved, including Crewe Alexandra. I'm surprised I did not read subsequently that Crewe had carried out an inquiry into what had occurred."
Lord Carlile - one of the country's top legal experts - told the BBC the club at the centre of the case was guilty of "institutional failure" over their former youth coach.
He also fears young footballers were abused because "this danger was not drawn to the attention of a wider public".
Bennell, 64, who has already served three prison sentences, has been convicted of 43 further charges of child sex abuse by a jury at Liverpool Crown Court.
In a statement on Thursday, Crewe said the club "was not aware of any sexual abuse by Bennell" until his arrest in Florida in 1994, and that it did not receive any sexual abuse complaint about him "before or during his employment with the club."
Crewe also said a police investigation found "no evidence to corroborate that the club was aware of Bennell's offending".
Bennell, who worked with a number of clubs across the north west of England, including Manchester City and Stoke City, was jailed for nine years in 1998, pleading guilty to 23 specimen charges at Chester Crown Court.
But the prosecuting barrister at the trial, Alex Carlile QC, who was made a life peer in 1999, has now spoken out for the first time about Crewe's handling of the case.
"I believe the Crewe board should have addressed this issue, and I'd be very interested to see the board minutes of the time because I feel sure the board would have discussed it in some way, but I have the feeling it was brushed under the carpet," he said.
"What I am satisfied about is that there should have been further inquiry by any club involved, including Crewe Alexandra. I'm surprised I did not read subsequently that Crewe had carried out an inquiry into what had occurred."